Peanut Butter Buckeye Pretzel Bites Recipe

Basically they are a Buckeye sitting on a pretzel. The perfect blend of sweet and crunchy. Yum! They are really easy to make, but they do require some refrigeration between steps.

My recipe is adapted slightly from a recipe I found in Taste of Home magazine. The original recipe was called Chocolate Peanut Sweeties, but my kids always call them Buckeye Pretzel Bites, so the name stuck. Plus I am from Ohio, and it’s a law that any little peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate have to be called Buckeyes 🙂

I typically make these easy buckeye balls for every holiday because the kids would revolt if I didn’t. When I make them for Valentine’s Day, I top each with a jumbo heart sprinkle and some pink sanding sugar. They would make a great Valentine’s treat for your sweetie!

Keep reading to learn how I make them – complete with photos of the steps. Or if you prefer, you can skip down to the bottom for the printable buckeye peanut butter ball recipe.

Peanut Butter Buckeye Pretzel Bites Recipe Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened (use the real stuff!)

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

a bag of mini pretzels (you will need 30-40 for this recipe, depending on how big you make the peanut butter balls)

1 tbs coconut oil (the original recipe called for shortening but coconut oil is better for you and works just as well)

Buckeye Peanut Butter Ball Recipe

Quick note: I recommend letting the butter sit out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour before you start making this buckeye candy balls recipe.

Beat the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth.

A cup at a time, mix in the powdered sugar. After you add the third cup of powdered sugar, you will probably find it easiest to get in there and use your hands to form the mixture into a big ball.

If you are having a hard time getting the mixture to stick together, you can add a tablespoon of milk to help it come together. Most of the time I make this recipe, it works perfectly without the addition of milk. Every once in awhile though, the mixture is really crumbly and I have to add the milk. I think it depends on the brand of peanut butter you use and how long you let your butter soften.

Form the peanut butter mixture into 1 inch balls. (I use a small cookie scoop to make sure they are all the same size.)

Press each of the peanut butter balls on a pretzel. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least one hour.

Quick tip: Whenever I make this peanut butter buckeye pretzel bites recipe, I always line the baking pan with a silicone mat for easy cleanup. You are going to get melted chocolate all over it, so it cleans up easier with the mat.

Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a double boiler, a chocolate melting pot, or in your microwave. If you use the microwave to melt the chocolate, start with 1 minute at 50% power, and then stir. After that, microwave it in 20 second increments, stirring each time, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

I typically use the microwave to melt my chocolate. However, I usually have to re-heat it a time or two as it starts to cool. The nice thing about using a chocolate melting pot is that it always stays the right temperature. So you don’t have to stop and re-heat your chocolate halfway through making this buckeye balls candy recipe.

Holding the pretzel between your fingers, dip the peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate to coat (just the ball itself – not the pretzel), then return to the baking sheet, pretzel side down.

After you dip a few of the peanut butter balls in the chocolate, add any sprinkles or decorations. You want to work quickly before the chocolate starts to harden.

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I used Wilton Jumbo Hearts Sprinkles on each one.

On the white chocolate ones, I also sprinkled them with pink sanding sugar. (The sanding sugar didn’t really show up on the regular chocolate ones.)

You can make this buckeye peanut butter ball recipe for any holiday by using different sprinkles. When I make them for Christmas, I use red and green sprinkles on the top. For St. Patrick’s Day, I will make them with green sprinkles. For the 4th of July, they would look cute topped with star sprinkles. The possibilities are endless!

After you have dipped and decorated all the peanut butter balls, stick the buckeye pretzel bites back in the refrigerator for an hour so the chocolate can harden.

Store the candy in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Eat within a week. (Anytime I make this buckeye pretzel bite recipe, ours never last that long though!)

In a medium sized bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth. A cup at a time, mix in the powdered sugar. After 2 cups of powdered sugar, I find it easiest to get in there and use my hands to form the mixture into a big ball.

Form the peanut butter mixture into 1 inch balls. (I use a small cookie scoop to make sure they are all the same size.)

Press each of the peanut butter balls on a pretzel. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least one hour.

Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a double boiler, a chocolate melting pot, or in your microwave.

Holding the pretzel between your fingers, dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate to coat, then return to the baking sheet, pretzel side down.

After you dip a few of the peanut butter balls in the chocolate, add any sprinkles or decorations. You want to work quickly before the chocolate starts to harden.

After you have dipped and decorated all the peanut butter balls, stick the buckeye pretzel bites back in the refrigerator for an hour so the chocolate can harden.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Eat within a week.

Pin this Easy Buckeye Balls Recipe for later:

Of all the sweets and treats I make for my family, this easy Buckeye balls recipe is one that I make over and over again. I mean, who can resist the combination of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter? With just the right balance of sweet and salty, this Buckeye Balls Candy Recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

If you make this peanut butter buckeye pretzel bites recipe, you will have to come back and let me know how you liked them. So tell me… Are you making any special treats for your family for Valentine’s Day? Be sure to leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you!

I am an Ohio girl too, and those do look just like little buckeyes sitting on top of pretzels. My hubby loves buckeyes, but he loves pretzels more, I think he would really like these. I never thought of covering them with white, I have only done milk chocolate. This made them look so pretty for Valentine’s day! Thanks so much for sharing at Celebrate Your Story!

Chocolate and Peanut butter is my favorite combination! I’m from Ohio so I know a good Buckeye when I see one, and this one is so adorable. Love the holiday themed sprinkles, would be fun to make for any holiday. Thanks for the recipe!

Hey, Jen! Just wanted to let you know that we loved your Peanut Butter Buckeye Pretzels so much when you shared it at the #HomeMattersParty last week, we’ve FEATURED it THIS WEEK! Hope you can check it out when you get a sec. Happy Friday! http://ourcraftymom.com/home-matters-linky-party-119/

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About Jennifer

I am a Child of God, Wife to my High School Sweetheart, Work at Home Mom to 4 Great Kids, Memory keeper, Crafter, Letterboxer, Blogger, Frugal Shopper, Organic Gardener, Avid Cook and Baker... yep that about sums it up!

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